


Shot Through The Back (And You're To Blame)

by darkemrys



Category: 9-1-1 (TV)
Genre: Angst with a Happy Ending, Buck being reckless, Buck ending up in the hospital, Canon Compliant, Don’t copy to another site, Eddie making bad decisions, Everyone Ships Buddie, F/F, F/M, Feels, M/M, Mutual Pining, Not bashing Lena but this fic isn’t pro Lena either, except for Lena, except for the truck scene, that happened, the events of 3x08 didn’t happen, up to 3x07, which is pretty much canon at this point
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-12-08
Updated: 2020-07-26
Packaged: 2021-02-26 07:13:49
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 5
Words: 6,082
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21709549
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/darkemrys/pseuds/darkemrys
Summary: When Buck finds out that Eddie has been lying to Christopher, he tracks down Eddie, only to find his best friend trapped in the world of the street fighting.Desperate to get his best friend back, Buck tries everything to get Eddie to walk away, but when talking to him fails, Buck decides to do something drastic to get Eddie come home with him.Good news: His plan succeeded.Bad news: Thanks to receiving a bullet to the back, he may never be a firefighter again.
Relationships: Athena Grant/Bobby Nash, Evan "Buck" Buckley/Eddie Diaz, Henrietta "Hen" Wilson/Karen Wilson, Maddie Buckley/Howie “Chimney” Han
Comments: 83
Kudos: 377
Collections: 2019 Advent Ficlet Challenge





	1. Caught Up In A Lie

**Author's Note:**

  * For [Solembum](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Solembum/gifts).



> Hi, everyone! Welcome to the first chapter of my very first 9-1-1 fic. 
> 
> This fic is dedicated to Solembum, who came up with the prompt for this fic in the first place. 
> 
> Before you start reading, there’s a few things you need to know:
> 
> 1\. The fic is canon compliant up until 3x07, so everything that happened in 3x08 (except for the truck scene) and 3x09 didn’t happen. As much as I love the Buddie kitchen scene, it does not exist in this fic.
> 
> 2\. This fic is part of the 2019 Advent Challenge by MissDavis. It covers the Escape and Baby Please Come Home Prompts.
> 
> Now that you know that, enjoy!
> 
> Disclaimer: 9-1-1 belongs to its respective creators.

It was the small things about Eddie that made red flags go off in Buck’s mind.

First, it was the bruises that Eddie claimed he received from roughhousing with Christopher during the time that Eddie ignored him.

Then, it was the new truck that he bought on a whim, despite the fact that Buck knew that Eddie’s salary wasn’t exactly flexible enough to afford a brand, new vehicle…especially one as expensive as that. 

Lastly, it was the black sunglasses that Eddie occasionally sported on a job, even if it wasn’t even bright enough to warrant wearing a pair. 

There were so many times where Buck just wanted to pull Eddie to the side, away from the team and any prying eyes, just to ask him what was up with him. Deep down in his heart and soul, Buck knew that Eddie was keeping secrets from him and the thought of what exactly those secrets were kept the younger firefighter up at night. 

What was wrong with Eddie?

What was Eddie hiding?

Was Eddie in some kind of trouble?

Was there any way he could help Eddie?

Would Eddie even accept his help if he offered it?

Even now, as he laid awake in his bed because the recurring thoughts of Eddie had robbed him of any chance of sleeping for the third night in the row, those questions plagued his exhausted mind. He reached towards his nightstand for his phone and once he felt the cool metal surface of the mobile device, he picked it up and held it over his face. 

Nimble fingers pressed a few buttons until Buck’s blue eyes were staring at Eddie’s contact information. His finger hovered over the light green Call button, but doubt made him hesitate in pressing the button.

He just got Eddie back.

He just got his best friend back. 

Eddie was letting him back into his life again. 

Buck almost lost his friendship with Eddie over the lawsuit. What if poking his nose where it didn’t belong made him lose Eddie for good? 

Suddenly, the sound of his ringtone jolted Buck out of his thoughts. 

Blinking in confusion, Buck stared at his phone to see a picture of Christopher staring him right in the face. It was half-past midnight. Normally, Christopher would be sound asleep around nine o’clock. Why was he calling him so late?

Suddenly, a sickening thought entered Buck’s mind.

What if something happened to Eddie?

He accepted the call , put his phone to his ear, and tried to hide the rising panic he was feeling with a calm voice.

“Hey, Buddy.”

“Hi, Buck.”

“W-What are still doing up? You know your dad doesn’t like it when you stay up too la-“

“Can I talk to Daddy?”

Alarm bells rang in Buck’s brain as the one question made the blue-eyed, blond more alert and aware than he had ever been the entire night.

Why did Christopher think Eddie was with him? If Christopher wasn’t with him now, he was he staying with? More importantly, if Eddie wasn’t with Christopher at this moment, where in the world was he? 

“Buck, are you still there?”, the eight year old inquired, bringing Buck back to reality.

“Y-Yeah. I’m still here.”, Buck answered back. “Well, you see…..your dad can’t come to the phone right now.”

“Oh, okay…”, Christopher asked in a voice so full of disappointment that it made Buck’s heart break. Then, he spoke back up again, “Daddy must be busy with all the late work he has to do now to pay for the new truck…”

Hearing those words made seeds of anger begin to take root within Buck, but he couldn’t let Christopher know how he was feeling. He had to remain calm. 

“Buddy, I can pass your message along if you want me too, but it might take a while for your dad to call you back. Can you talk to Carla in the meantime?”

“I’m not with Carla.”

If Buck’s panic was bad before, those four little words just made the feeling of dread that Buck was experiencing a thousand times worse. 

“Abuelita is asleep right now and I don’t want to wake her up. I’ve already scared her by telling her about my nightmares before I just want to talk to my daddy.”

Buck breathed a sigh of relief at the news. At least, Christopher was being looked after by someone he knew, trusted, and loved. But that feeling of security was clouded by a storm of anger when reality hit Buck like a slap in the face.

Eddie had been, not only lying to his son for days on end, but he had dragged Buck into his web of lies. On top of that, Eddie was vanishing without a trace to do who knows what. But, worst of all, Christopher needed his father and his father wasn’t there.

His little boy had a nightmare and was probably scared out of his mind, and Eddie. Wasn’t. There.

Buck could let a lot of things slide, but this situation was not one of them. 

“Hey, listen, buddy…I gotta go. I’ll call you back later. Okay?”

“Okay…Bye, Buck.”

“Bye, kiddo.”

As soon as the phone call was over, Buck’s fingers pressed against the phone screen in a rapid pace as he was trying to get a hold of Eddie. The phone relayed the sound of a dial tone as Buck’s anxious fingers tapped against his knee. 

The longer the phone went unanswered, the more and more frustrated Buck had become. 

“Come on, Eddie! Answer the phone!”, he mumbled.

When he heart the sound of Eddie’s voice, his heart nearly leapt out of his chest. Yet, before a single word could leave Buck’s lips, the firefighter’s mouth twisted into a grimace as an automated message created by his best friend entered his ears.

“Hey, this is Eddie Diaz. I can’t come to the phone right now, but leave me a message and I’ll call you when I can.”

Buck ended the call, redialed the number, and almost threw his mobile device at the wall when the voicemail message played once again. 

Buck didn’t know what was worse: the thought of Eddie being away from his phone or the possibility that Eddie was avoiding his phone calls.

Either way, one thing was for sure. Buck had to find Eddie, under any means necessary.

The problem was…where did he start?

If Eddie was keeping secrets, there was no way anyone else at the 118 would know about it. While everyone in the 118 were close enough to be a family, Eddie was closest to Buck.

At least, he was, before Buck stupidly got the idea to sue everyone because he had lost his job….

Buck ran his hand down his face. 

Eddie used to confide in him whole-heartedly. Buck knew every single one of Eddie’s secrets, but now, there was something important that Buck didn’t know about him and that a huge problem.

Besides him, who did Eddie talk to? Who did he start hanging out with when Buck was no longer an option? 

Images of Eddie standing next to a light-skinned, blonde woman with fiery brown eyes played before him like snapshots of a camera. Suddenly, the anger that he had towards Eddie morphed into cruel, ugly jealousy as Bosko began to invade his thoughts.

He had almost forgotten about her….how she walked around the 118 like she owned the place….how she just slid into the empty spot on the team that Buck usually filled so easily and no one else on the team had a problem with it….how she was always standing next to Eddie as if she belonged with him….

No. Now was not the time for Buck to give into feelings on envy and insecurity. What was most important was getting to Eddie, making sure he was okay, and telling him that his son needed him.

And, as much as Buck hated to admit it, Bosko was his best shot at finding out where Eddie was.

So, Buck repressed all of his resentment, gathered all the resolve he could muster, and grabbed a phone book.

Five minutes later, he was on the phone once again, listening to the repetitive sound of a dial tone. But this time, someone answered the phone.  
“Hello?”

“Hey, Bosko. It’s Buck. I need to talk to you.”


	2. Cruel Words Over A Phone Call

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Buck talks to Lena on the phone.
> 
> It goes about as well as you expect.
> 
> Not. Well. At. All.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hi, everyone! Happy Holidays! I hope you’re having a wonderful holiday season.
> 
> Consider this brand new chapter as my holiday gift to you. 
> 
> Enjoy!

“You want to talk to me? Color me surprised.”

Buck could feel the beginnings of a headache forming under his skull just by hearing the woman’s voice.

He started, “Listen-“

Buck gritted his teeth when Bosko cut him off, only to give him a sarcastic remark of her own, “Listen to you? The entitled brat that had absolutely no problem throwing his entire team under the bus because he didn’t get his way?”

Suddenly, the pain that was blossoming in Buck’s mind doubled in intensity and agony. Buck rubbed his agonizing temples with two fingers and tried to speak once again in a calm composure that Buck was fighting with all his power to keep.

“Bosko, can you just-“

In an instant, the sarcasm that Bosko held in her voice was gone. When she spoke again, the sheer hatred in her voice made chills go up and down Buck’s spine.

“No. I don’t have to do anything for you. We’re not friends, and even if we were, our friendship would be over after what he did....just like your friendships with the 118 should be over, especially the one you have with Eddie.”

The threads of calm composure that Buck was desperately trying to hold onto threatened to snap with each vicious word that came out of Bosko’s mouth.

“You don’t deserve it. You don’t deserve any of it: your job, your place on the team, Eddie’s forgiveness and l-“

“SHUT UP!”, Buck roared, making the woman’s cruel comments come to a crashing halt.

Who did Bosko think she was?  
The woman didn’t know Buck and she barely knew the 118. She may have worked with them for a couple of weeks, but she wasn’t friends with them like Buck was. She wasn’t family like Buck was.

And the things she said about Eddie.....acting like she knew more....understood him more than Buck did. The things Bosko knew about Eddie paled in comparison to the knowledge that Buck possessed. Bosko may have known small details about Eddie, but Buck knew the whole picture. Eddie only started hanging out with her to fill the void that Buck’s absence had created in his life.

In fact, the only reason she even entered their lives was to temporarily fill his spot while he recovered and find a place of work until she could go back to her original team. And once he returned, she would be back on her own team.

That’s it.

That’s all she was.

She was just a stranger passing through, nothing more and nothing less.

And Buck definitely didn’t have to take this self-righteous, holier than thou attitude from a rank stranger.

He opened his mouth to yell at the infuriating woman who had tested his patience for the last time....to let her know that she wasn’t as important to the 118....to Eddie as she clearly believed.

But, the small, frightened voice of a child broke through his train furious, angry, vengeful thoughts.

“ _Can I talk to Daddy_?”

Hearing Christopher’s voice.....remembering the reason why he was talking to Bosko made Buck close his eyes and take a few slow, deep breaths.

Bosko didn’t matter. Her opinion didn’t matter. None of it mattered. What mattered most.....was Christopher. And helping Christopher mattered the most to Buck.

With a clear mind and a regained sense of calmness, the blue-eyed, brunette stated,

“I didn’t call you to get your judgment. I called you to ask if you know where Eddie is.”

“What makes you think I know where he is?”

“Because, I know you two still hang out.”

“What me and Eddie do outside of work is none of your business. If Eddie wanted to tell you where he went, he would’ve. But, since he didn’t, maybe that means you two aren’t back to being “best friends” like you thought.

“But you know where he is, don’t you?”

“Maybe I do, but there’s no way I’m going to tell you. Eddie trusts me. Get that? He trusts me. And, unlike you, I don’t plan on breaking his trust.”

The sneer that Buck detected in her tone made his blood boil.

Mentally, he issued a command to himself, “Keep it together, Buck.”

“I’m not asking for me. I’m asking for Christopher.”, he responded.

There was a moment of silence on the phone before Bosko spoke again. Instead of anger or condescension, Buck only heard astonishment coming from her.

“His son?”

“Yes. His son that woke up scared because of a nightmare and the one person he wanted to talk to....the one person he needed more than anyone is nowhere to be found. So, if you don’t want to help me, fine. But, at least, have some basic human decency and help a scared little boy get back to his father.”

He didn’t mean to add that last past, but the blonde’s earlier comments still stung him. Also, a part of him hoped that hearing Christopher’s troubles would motivate Bosko to cooperate with Buck instead of trying to fight against him.

But, that hope died when Buck heard Bosko’s next comment.

“Buck, I swear to God.....if you’re lying to me....”

“ **ARE YOU KIDDING ME**?!”, Buck screamed at the top of his lungs.

If Bosko wanted to say anything, Buck didn’t give her the chance to speak. He ranted,

“Why would I lie about something like this?! Huh?! _Why_?! I know me and Eddie have issues, but I would never lie about his kid and I would never use his kid to manipulate him into talking to me! **Never**. And the fact that you think I actually would is......”

He trailed off into silence and just stood in the middle of the living room, fuming. He was offended, beyond furious, and honestly, completely done. It was obvious that this woman was going to be no help. And the longer Buck went back and forth with her, the longer Christopher was going to go too scared to go back to sleep.

“I-“, Bosko started,but Buck wasn’t willing to hear another word that she had to say.

“You know what? Forget it. I was dumb to think I could actually turn to you for help.”, he snapped before smashing the red button glowing on his screen.

He would just have to find Eddie himself.

In a span of ten minutes, Buck was sitting in his car while he turned the key in the ignition. Buck tapped anxious fingers on the steering wheel as the car began to warm up.

Where should he even begin to start looking?

His phone screen lit up a second later, but when Buck saw Bosko’s name staring back at him, Buck rolled his eyes.

His first mindset was to dismiss the text notification, but his instincts were telling him to do the exact opposite.

He opened up the text and expected to find harsh words in its content, but much to his surprise, it was an address.

Buck couldn’t believe it. Bosko actually came through for him.

He was about to send many texts of gratitude until he saw the text Bosko sent right after the first one.

_Do yourself a favor when you find Eddie. Don’t judge him. You’re the reason he turned to doing this._

“I’m the reason? What’s that supposed to mean?”, Buck mumbled to himself as he pulled out the driveway and sped off into the night.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Jeez, Lena....does Buck really deserve all of those harsh words of yours?
> 
> See you next time!


	3. Revelations and Ruthless Remarks

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Eddie discovers that Buck has found out about his secret nocturnal hobby, which causes them to clash behind closed doors.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello! I hope everyone is having a good day.
> 
> I know it’s been a while, but I’m back with a brand new chapter filled with all the ANGST.
> 
> Who’s ready for some Buddie feels?
> 
> Enjoy!
> 
> 9-1-1 belongs to its respective creators.

Exhilaration coursed through Eddie’s veins as his balled up fists connected with the bruised and bloodied face of his opponent. The bald, heavy-set, tanned skin man he was facing looked disoriented from the hit, which made the firefighter’s lips curl into an arrogant smirk.

Spinning around rapidly, Eddie threw a roundhouse kick at the man. His foot met flesh, causing the man’s neck to twist forcefully. His legs crumbled beneath him and one moment later, the rest of his body met the ground with a loud THUMP. The man’s eyes rolled back into his head as the crowd erupted into a mixture of excited screams and applause. 

A hand clamped over Eddie’s and rose into the air and the words that entered Eddie’s ears made him holler in victory.

“WINNER AND UNDEFEATED CHAMPION: DIAZ!”

“DIAZ!”

“DIAZ!”

“DIAZ!”

The crowd began to cheer his name and for the first time in a long time, Eddie felt happy and whole. He turned towards the spectators…the kindred spirits the allowed him to grace the ring and make sure they earned every single dollar that they bet on him, pumping both of fists in the air and chanting along with them…

Until, his chocolate brown eyes met a pair of familiar sky blue irises that stared back at him in horror. 

“Buck?”, he whispered out of shock.

Eddie blinked for a moment, but by the time his eyes opened again, he found himself looking at a young, light-skinned, blonde man with green eyes. 

“Must be imagining things.”, he muttered as he exited the ring and made his way to the empty, rundown, locker room that he used to prepare for his fight. But instead of thinking of potential strategies to beat his next opponent into submission, all of his thoughts were centered on Buck.

“UGH!”, he groaned in annoyance.

Why was he even thinking about Buck right now? 

Eddie did not want Buck to be there nor did he want Buck knowing about his secret pastime. Because if he did, Buck being Buck…would play hero and try to stop Eddie from ever doing this again and Eddie couldn’t have that. 

He didn’t need Buck ruining another good thing in his life. 

“Hey, Diaz!”

Eddie’s ears arched when he heard the sound of his name being called from the doorway.

“Yeah?”, he called back.

“Some guy wants to talk to you. See if your worth his money.”

A snort passed through Eddie’s lips before he made a remark, “Does he know what the phrase “undefeated champion” means?”

“Don’t know, but he’s willing to shell out a lot of cash.”

Cash…that was the magic word that Eddie needed to hear. He needed extra money to make payments on the new, beautiful black truck that he was showing off to Buck.

He rolled his eyes at himself. There he goes again…putting himself in Eddie’s thoughts where he didn’t belong. 

“Sure, send him in.”

He heard the sounds of footsteps that grew louder and louder with each passing step. When the sound finally ceased, Eddie had his back turned to his visitor as he replaced the bloodstained tape wrapped around his knuckles with clean tape. 

“Look man, I don’t know why you doubt me, but last time I checked, “undefeated champion” means that I’ve never lost. If you bet on me, chances are you’ll gain a lot of money and not lose a single cent.”

“I might not lose a single cent, but you get one more bruise to show at work, right?”

Hearing Buck’s voice made Eddie’s heart drop into his stomach. No….that was impossible. His mind must be playing tricks him. Buck couldn’t be here. There’s no way he should…..

“Eddie.”

Hearing Buck call his name gave him the resolve he required to turn around and finally face him. But, when he saw him…when he saw the look of outrage and disbelief in Buck’s baby blue eyes….

The only thing that Eddie felt while looking at Buck was boiling rage.

“What are you doing here?”, he interrogated, crossing his arms around his chest. 

“Looking for you.”

“Well, you found me. Now, you can leave.”, Eddie said with his eyes darting in the direction of the door that Buck had just walked through before turning around to continue bandaging his hands. 

Warm fingers curled around his shoulder, and Eddie could hear the plea in Buck’s voice, “Eddie, you can’t just seriously expect me to go, not until we talk about this-“

Eddie jerked his shoulder out of Buck’s reach and glared at him with burning fire in his brown eyes. “Oh, so now you wanna talk?”

“Eddie, come on-“

Eddie’s bandaged hands shoved Buck away from him, causing the younger male to stumble backwards and almost trip over his own feet. In outrage, Eddie yelled, red in the face, “Why should I, Buck?! After screwing Cap, Chim, Hen over…..after screwing me over, why should I listen to a word you say?!”

Buck’s eyes widened and Eddie could see them begin to spill over with salt water tears, which only made Eddie scoff internally.

“……I…..I thought you forgave me for that.”, Buck mumbled sadly. 

“Maybe, I lied to you. Just like you looked me right in the eye and lied to me.”

The words were cruel, harsh, and…completely false. The truth was that Eddie did forgive Buck during their talk on Halloween night. But, that was just one of the reasons that made him so mad.

In a lot of ways, Buck’s betrayal reminded him of the was Shannon betrayed him when she just disappeared from his and their son’s life without so much as a goodbye and when she convinced Eddie to let her back into his life….fall back in love with her all over again….only to tell him that she wanted a divorce.

Shannon though he wasn’t a good enough reason to stay and apparently, neither did Buck. 

“I have never lied to you in my life, unlike you has done nothing but lie to my face over the past few days!”, Buck exclaimed, pointing at Eddie.

Eddie screamed back, “Buck, why would I even tell you about this?! I don’t trust you!”

Eddie had a sick sense of satisfaction rush through him as he looked at the pained expression on Buck’s face after he said those words. A single tear slid down his cheek before Buck quickly wiped it off, before asking a question of his own in a tone lace with frustration.

“But, you trust Bosko right? You trust a woman you barely know over me, who’s known you for years?”

“Yes, because she was there for me when you didn’t bother enough to care.”

“Eddie….I made a mistake….”, Buck said, once again using the pleading tone of voice that made Eddie narrow his eyes at him.

“So did I, and that was ever deciding it was a good idea to let you into my life.”

At that moment, the locker room was filled with a tension that was so thick that Eddie found the simple act of breathing a little more difficult than it normally was.

Instead of one tear, Buck had a thousand tears running down his face after Eddie said those words. Seeing Buck look so hurt and broken….Eddie was split between feeling guilty, taking it back…admitting that it was a lie….or his darker desire of hurting Buck just as badly, if not more, than Buck had already hurt him.

“You don’t….You can’t….You don’t mean that.”, Buck said finally in a whisper that was so soft that Eddie could barely hear.

“I do. Buck, we’re not….we’re nothing to each other now. And that’s your fault. That’s on you.”

“Diaz, it’s almost time for your match! You ready?”, the referee called out, interrupting the conversation.

“Good to go.”, Eddie replied before turning his attention on Buck once again. 

“Go home, Buck. You’re not wanted here. You’re barely wanted at the 118.”, he hissed walking past Buck and making absolutely sure their shoulders collided before he made his way out the door.

Buck’s fingers grabbed Eddie’s arm in a tight grip and pulled back as Buck hastily tried to get out,

“If you don’t want me in your life, fine. But, Christopher needs you in his and-“

Hearing Buck say his son’s name made Eddie’s already stormy anger towards Buck reach a breaking point. As quick as a flash, Eddie spun around, yanking his arm out of Buck’s grip, and grabbed two fistfuls of his shirt.

SLAM!

Buck’s back collided against the wall while Eddie’s hands transferred from gripping his shirt to gripping his shoulders to keep him in place. Their faces were so close together that Eddie could see the fear in Buck’s eyes.

Good.

“Keep my son’s name out of your mouth.”, Eddie snarled before letting his hands drop to his sides and walk back to the ring, leaving Buck all alone.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Ouch. Things aren’t going to well for our favorite duo. 
> 
> See you next time!


	4. The New Challenger

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Leaving Buck behind after their argument, Eddie is more than happy to step back into ring.......until he finds out who’s decided to face him.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hi, everyone! I’m trying to get back into writing with everything that is going on. But, I’m back with a brand new chapter! 
> 
> Enjoy!
> 
> 9-1-1 belongs to its respective creators.

“ _Buck, we’re not….we’re nothing to each other now. And that’s your fault. That’s on you.”_

Eddie’s cruel words played in Buck’s mind on an endless loop. Each time was more painful than the last and unwanted tears fell down his face once again.

“Stop!”, Buck hissed at himself, which made the words that haunted him stop repeating themselves.

It didn’t matter.

It didn’t matter if Eddie hated him. It didn’t matter if Eddie didn’t forgive him. It didn’t matter if Eddie.....if Eddie didn’t want his friendship anymore.

That wasn’t important right now.

Buck was not important right now.

The only thing that mattered was getting Eddie back to Christopher.

And by the time this night was over, Eddie would be right back home with his son where he belonged, no matter what the cost.  
_____________________________________

Eddie’s spirits lifted after he took one step into the ring and heard people chanting his name once again.

This was good. This was exactly what he needed.

Forget Buck. Forget everything.

Right now, all he needed was the next match.

And he was absolutely sure he was going to win it.

“Step right up! Who will challenge our reigning champion?!”, the referee shouted over the cheers of the crowd.

The words made the crowd go quiet, but one voice made Eddie’s world shift on its axis.

“I’m in.”

He turned his neck to the metal fence door so quickly that the sudden motion almost gave him whiplash. Much to his horror, he found himself at Buck who boldly entered the ring without a trace of fear or hesitation.

Eddie rushed over to him in seconds and tried to shove him back through the doorway. Frantic brown eyes bore into stubborn baby blue irises as Eddie hissed,

“I know listening isn’t one of your strong suits, but read my lips, You. Can’t. Be. In. Here.”

Buck didn’t say a single word. All he wrapped his fingers around Eddie’s wrists and pulled his hands off of him. Then, with a glare that was as cold as the one Buck gave him when they first met, Buck stepped around him and made his way towards the opposite side of the ring.

But as he passed by Eddie, he whispered that made Eddie forget to breathe.

“Hope you get your money’s worth from this.”

Satisfied that the newcomer in was ready to fight, the referee stood between the two men and yelled before exiting the ring.

“Ready.......Fight!”

The words fell on deaf ears though as the reigning champion of the ring just stood there, frozen and motionless.

This couldn’t be happening.

This can’t be real.

Buck couldn’t possibly expect Eddie to fight him. Buck was reckless and rarely thought things through, but he wasn’t insane.

And him fighting Eddie was the textbook definition of insanity.

The brunette finally broke through his shock and words tumbled out of his mouth.

“Buck, have you lost your mind?! Do you know how dangerous this place is for you?! You’re on blood-“

In the blink of an eye, Buck was right in front of Eddie’s face and before he could even get another word out, a fist met his mouth.

The impact was so sudden that it made Eddie’s world dance before his eyes. A tart, metallic taste exploded in his mouth while his body wavered to the side before the firefighter stumbled to the ground. Sharp, jagged gravel pierced his knees, giving him many scrapes and cuts in his skin. Eddie’s hand touched his hurt lips and when he pulled it away, the sight of blood dripping down his fingers made his heart freeze in between beats.

He couldn’t believe it.

Buck had actually hit him.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I think out of all the things Buck has done...this is probably the most reckless.
> 
> See you next time!


	5. Fight Between Friends

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Buck and Eddie fight in the ring, both physically and verbally.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello, everyone! I know it's been forever, but I am back with a brand new chapter. :) These last few months have been pretty hard for me, but I'm slowly coming back to writing fanfiction again. Despite my sporadic updates, I just want to let everyone know that I am not abandoning this story. 
> 
> With that said, hope you enjoy the new update!
> 
> 911 belongs to its respective creators.

Punching Eddie in the face hurt Buck more than getting his leg crushed by a fire truck.

He didn’t want to do this. He wished he didn’t have to. But, if their confrontation in the locker room proved anything, it was that Eddie was too deep...too far gone in this dark, twisted, violent world of street fighting for him to listen to reason. So, if words alone wouldn’t work, fine. Buck wasn’t afraid to fight Eddie. If it would get his.......former best friend back to his son, Buck was willing to do anything.

——-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Eddie barely had time to recover before Buck rushed towards him with the raised fists of a boxer.

“Buck, wait-“, the single father tried to say, before he was cut off, blocking another punch to the face with his hand.

“Buck, stop!”, Eddie yelled as he hastily leaned backwards, narrowly avoiding Buck’s uppercut.

Then, Buck spun on his heels and shot his leg outwards towards Eddie, performing a perfect roundhouse kick. His boot would have connected with Eddie’s side, but in a swift move, Eddie’s hands grabbed ahold of Buck’s foot. Buck tried to get his leg free from Eddie’s grasp, but the brunette wouldn’t release his grip. Eddie’s body swayed and shook back and forth as Buck tried to pull his limb out of his hands. Eddie yanked Buck’s leg toward him. The sudden movement startled the younger man, but he tried to kick Eddie with his remaining leg regardless.

Eddie snatched Buck’s other leg and on the turn of his heels, he threw Buck away from him while he screamed, “I SAID STOP!”

Buck was flung mid air until he collided with the ground and momentum forced him to bounce slightly, before his body started to roll against the sharp, jagged, uneven texture of the gravel beneath him. Seconds later, his body came to a stop as he struggled to brush off the agony he was probably feeling. What Eddie saw made him forget how to breathe for just a moment. There were cuts on Buck’s face head and rivers of blood oozed from them. Eddie grew nauseous at the sight of it.

“I-I didn’t mean....Buck, I’m so-“, Eddie struggled to the words.

“Don’t lie to me, Eddie. Don’t pretend you care.....”, Buck coldly responded, quickly wiping away the blood from his face until all that remained were smudges of red.

“I do care about you, Buck! Why do you think-Look, if this is about what happened in the locker room, none of what I said was true. I was just-“

“STOP LYING TO ME!”

Buck ran towards Eddie and tackled him. Eddie’s back crashed against the ground, knocking the wind out of him. Buck was on top of him as he resumed trying to punch Eddie in the face again with both of his balled up fists. But this time, he was more successful in getting his hands to hit his target, even if the person in question was trying to stop his punches.

In between blows, Buck snarled, “You don’t care about me. You don’t care about the 118. And, you especially don’t care about Christopher.”

_Christopher._

Hearing his son’s name had the effect of having a switch flip off in Eddie’s mind. Anger that had been repressed for far too long bubbles up to the surface with the heat and intensity of a geyser. In the span of sixty seconds, Eddie was no longer at the mercy of Buck. Without any warning or hesitation, Eddie grabbed a hold of Buck and rolled to his side. Buck met the ground once again, but Eddie took the opportunity to pull Buck’s shoulder so he would be on his stomach. Eddie quickly climbed on his back and pinned Buck’s flailing arms behind his back. Then, with one free hand remaining, Eddie shoved Buck’s face into the ground with a loud SMACK.

The crowd burst into cheers while Eddie snarled over the noise, “I thought I told you.....to keep my son’s name out your mouth." Buck tried to rise up, only for Eddie to push his head into the ground again. “You don’t get to talk about him! You never get to talk about him! Christopher is the most important person in my life and, _unlike you_ , I will never throw him away _over a job_!”

Buck twisted his face to the side and after spitting rocks and blood out of his mouth, he hissed, “If he’s so important to you, why weren’t you there tonight when he needed you?! _Why did he have to call me_?!”

Buck’s words washed over Eddie like a tidal wave, sweeping his fury away and replacing it with panic and fear. For a single moment, Eddie's grip on Buck loosened, giving Buck a split second to get Eddie off of his back. Lifting his upper body, he rammed the back of his head into Eddie's head. The collision made the back of his skull throb painfully, but all Buck could do was ignore it. Then, he took his elbow and with a twist of his torso, he slammed it into Eddie's jaw. Eddie swayed to the side from the blow and used his hand to keep from falling The metallic taste of blood began to overwhelm his senses as Buck made it to his feet.

“He had a nightmare. He woke up, scared out of his mind, and the only thing he wanted to do was talk to his dad, but he couldn’t do that because you were too busy doing this.....", Buck informed as he waved his arms around, gesturing to the ring and the cheering audience, “So, what I said was true. Me, Chris, the 118.....we don’t matter to you anymore. The only thing that matters to you...is the next fight....the next win....and the next pay off....”

Eddie could see tears forming in his eyes, but Buck didn't let that stop him. He let his tears fall down his face freely as he declared, “And since I’m the reason you ended up here....Fight me, Eddie. Take out all that rage you got on the person that made you feel that way. Beat me black and blue if you need to. Just promise me something....When you’re done....when you’re satisfied....go home to Chris and never come back here again.”

Buck's words made all the color drain from Eddie's face. He wasn't sure what made him feel worse: his absence when Christopher needed him, Buck's belief that he was the reason Eddie started fighting in the first place, or the fact that Buck was willing to continue fighting Eddie just to make him stop and go home to his son. The firefighter rose to his feet, which made the crowd chant his name once again, but, their cheers didn't have the same effect on Eddie as they did before.

Instead of feeling elation and content, all Eddie felt was shame and disgust.

He was supposed to be Christopher's father...a man that his son could look up to and be proud of. But, what kind of a father does what he's done for weeks on end? What kind of father leaves his child in the middle of the night to fight in the streets, hurting people that he swore to save and protect if they were in danger? What kind of a father.....treats his best friend like dirt....and uses him as an emotional punching bag, hitting him with words that he knows will cut him deep? Eddie hated the man that he became. He hated what he did to Christopher and Buck, the two most important people in his life.

He didn't exactly know how he could fix the cataclysmic amount of damage he had done, but he knew a good place where he could start. Without a word, Eddie knelt down and tapped his hand on the ground twice

“Tap Out. I’m done.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Next chapter....the BIG moment happens....hope you're ready for the angst.


End file.
